DA seeks more records from Oxnard City Hall

Sources say targets were council, 2 panels

The District Attorney's Office served new search warrants Thursday on several offices at Oxnard City Hall as part of a six-month-long investigation into possible malfeasance by city officials.

Almost two dozen warrants have been served since the investigation started in August.

According to several city sources, city officials were asked Thursday morning to produce copies of videos of City Council meetings going back to January 2005. Investigators also wanted minutes, agendas and resolutions from Oxnard's Fiscal Policy Task Force and Utilities Task Force.

On the advice of the city attorney, Alan Holmberg, Aerenlund said city officials would not comment because the search is part of an ongoing investigation. Several other city officials contacted by The Star also declined to comment.

While waiting for investigators to return to pick up the documents and DVDs, City Clerk Daniel Martinez said he couldn't comment on the search or what was being turned over.

"I don't know that it's public record," he said.

Councilman Bryan MacDonald said he was informed of the search.

"They were here, and that's about all I know," MacDonald said.

The warrants are the latest in an investigation that centers on possible contract irregularities, conflicts of interest and misappropriation of public money.

A criminal grand jury concluded almost 90 days of secret testimony about the probe in late November, and investigators have amassed reams of evidence from searches of city offices, the homes of city and elected officials, and offices of at least four companies doing business with the city.

The warrants Thursday were the first served in more than a month.

About three weeks ago, investigators made a request for billing records for attorneys who are representing city officials in the investigation. Before that, investigators used search warrants just days before Christmas to seize records from the city's Water Department.

The district attorney has said little about the investigation. Rob Briner, the DA's deputy chief investigator, said late last year that the investigation "continues to produce viable leads."

He would not comment on the case Thursday.

As with past warrants, the request was very broad.

Both of the committees cited are staffed by two council members.

The Fiscal Policy Task Force was formed in 2007 and has met only a few times.

Only three of its agendas are posted on the city's website, though the committee met other times. During most of that time, Andres Herrera and Dean Maulhardt, both longtime councilmen who lost re-election bids in November, served on the committee.

The committee worked on budget issues and bonds with Deputy City Manager Grace Magistrale Hoffman.

The Fiscal Policy Task Force met last week, with MacDonald and newly elected Councilwoman Carmen Ramirez now serving on the committee.

The Utilities Task Force dealt mostly with water and trash rates and contracts.

During the period in question, Mayor Tom Holden and Herrera served on the task force. They worked with Water Resources Manager Anthony Emmert.